Grading system....

[Shades McCool]

I was just wondering what kind of grading system everyone is on. Here at UAB we are on a percentile system.

Grades are broken down into quartiles
P1 - Top 25%
P2/P3 - Middle 50%
P4 - Bottom 25%
Below 70 - F

It has brought about a higher level of competitiveness which can be good and bad.

How about the rest of you? Your system and thoughts on ours....

Shades

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[liverotcod]

Wisconsin has A AB B BC C Fail, with AOA and class rank calculated using (M1 GPA + M2 GPA + 2(M3 Core Clerkship GPA))/4. Various student entities are working on moving toward strict pass/fail, but I rather like the system as it is.

 

[chintu]

Here at SLU its Honors/Near Honors/Pass/Deferred/Fail. I like it this way, there's still competition but only 15-20% gets H/NH in a give class so you make the grade that most students in your class make.

 

[Brainsucker]

I'm happy to have P/F the first year. After that, it's H/P/F. It's good to get used to the fact that one's classmates have some out and out amazing academic ability. I'm glad I've had this year, since I'm only now learning how to study. Next year it's going to be very tough to honor.

As far as comparing grading systems between schools, I have to say that schools with people with incredible numbers should have an H/P/F system while less selective schools should have more grades so students with greater differences can distinguish themselves. Really though, the boards are what we should all have our sights in the preclinical years. Because clinical grades are so subjective, it doesn't make sense to do anything besides P/F or H/P/F.

 

[fun8stuff]

I was just wondering what kind of grading system everyone is on. Here at UAB we are on a percentile system.

Grades are broken down into quartiles
P1 - Top 25%
P2/P3 - Middle 50%
P4 - Bottom 25%
Below 70 - F

It has brought about a higher level of competitiveness which can be good and bad.

How about the rest of you? Your system and thoughts on ours....

Shades

Our grades are posted as raw scores (number you got right) and as standardized z-scores. They set the average of the exam at 500. 100 points reprents 1 standard deviation. In order to honor, you have to get 600 or above. I believe you fail if you get below 400. However, 75% is guarenteed pass, just in case the test is easy and has a high average. So basically, you just have to do as good as everyone else and you will be fine.

 

[huskyrepresent]

We have a strict pass now/pass later preclincial curriculum and a H/P/F third year, P/F 4th year again. Third year Hs are done by the "beauty contest" system where everyone's comments and test scores are looked at holistically by the various discipline committees. 1-2 people will get all 6 honors, half the class will get none. No real rank but there is the "rank" word which is too subjective, loosely based on number of honors and perceived leadership in activities, research and stuff. We have no AOA society.

The very low key noncompetitive grading system has fostered a real sense of camaraderie and cooperation I haven't seen in other schools.

HuskyRepresent, University of Connecticut

 

[sga814]

Honors/Pass/Fail for classes, Outstanding/Good/Proficient/Unsatisfactory for clinics. Honors is one SD above average, and the clinical scores (I assume) will be based a little more on subjective stuff.

 

[CanIMakeIt]

M1: P/F
M2: H/P/F (though we are trying to get it to be P/F as well)
M3 and M4: H/HP/P/F